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Five awesome things about Michel Bell and Catherine Matejka at the Royal Room

NBC is looking, constantly, for “The Voice.” With all due respect, i think we’ve already found THE voice, and it’s Michel Bell.
The booming Tony-nominated bass-baritone, accompanied by wife, musical director and pianist Catherine Matejka, has an astonshing vocal instrument, one of great powerand force that can, because of his impressive control, quiet to a stirring hush. Their show, running now until Saturday at the Royal Room at the Colony Hotel, features pop, gospel, Broadway and a healthy warm helping of humor and goodwill. And a great big singalong. We love those.
Here, in no particular order, are our five favorite moments:
– The couple’s obvious musical and emotional connection. There were moments when Matejka, leaning over the piano so gracefully and expressively that she sometimes appeared to be dancing, would smile over at her husband, like “Good one, Honey!” It’s the look that teammates give when they know each other so well that they can anticipate the other’s breath, as well as the look of people who just enjoy creating something gorgeous.
– Bell, a large resonant tree trunk of a man, tells great storie. One of the best was about how his Francophile father, a World War II veteran, gave his oldest children French names, including Michel (as in “My Belle”), which gave his large son a lifetime of having to explain that no, his name was not pronounced “Michael.”
– Bell was nominated for a Tony for “Show Boat,” in which he sang “Old Man River,” immortalized by Paul Robeson. But he did more than sing the song – he curated it, explaining that even though he had no idea of the historical aspects of slavery and the context of the desperation and frustration that the song invokes when he first heard it, it began to infuse his performance. Indeed it’s hard to hear “Tired of living and scared of dying” without a bittersweet pool opening in your chest. Truly a gut-tapping moment.
– Fifth Dimension leaders Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr.’s frequent shows at the Royal Room always feature the “Hair”-tastique “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In”, culminating in much clapping, singing-along and general merriment. Bell was an eventual member of the group, so it’s no surprise that he did the same song, with as much verve and glee as McCoo and Davis.
– “The Impossible Dream.” It’s been done. A lot. It’s a gorgeous, stirring, bittersweet thing. Its power is expected, almost preemptory. But Bell’s verion of it is…relevatory. It makes you want to get a broken down horse or a tricycle or some used Keds and go tilt at some windmills.

Michel Bell and Catherine Matejka at the Royal Room until Dec. 7, thecolonypalmbeach.com